Special Exhibitions

Going Viral: Infection Through the Ages

Opened November 20, 2019 | Cadwalader Gallery

Going Viral examines the intersection of disease and environment through the lens of three major theories of infection.

Building a Vision

Opened June 6, 2019 | Thomson Gallery

This exhibition features photographs, texts, and artifacts from the Historical Medical Library and Mütter Museum, examining the College’s past and ambitious vision for the future.

Bones Books & Bell Jars : Photos of the Mütter Museum Collection

Bones Books & Bell Jars offers a contemporary fusion of art and medicine, recalling an era when artists and physicians collaborated to educate aspiring medical students and share information with other medical practitioners.

Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Philadelphia

What happens when disease strikes a city of two million people, sickening half a million and killing more than 12,000 in just six weeks, and 20,000 in six months? What would YOU do?

Our Finest Clothing: A Layered History of Our Skin

Opened February 12, 2016 | Upper level of Mütter Museum

This exhibition explores the biology, pathology, and cultural aspects of skin from both a historical and contemporary angle.

Grimms' Anatomy: Magic and Medicine

Though many fairy-tale bodies belong to the realm of the marvelous, some have real-world counterparts.

Imperfecta

This exhibition examines the shifting perceptions about abnormal human development, from fear and wonder to curiosity and clinical science.

Woven Strands: The Art of Human Hair Work

Jan. 19, 2018—Sept. 16, 2018 | Thomson Gallery

An exquisite group of hair art and jewelry, as well as accompanying materials that discuss the social expectations of Victorian-era mourning rituals.

Tracing the Remains

January 13 – July 6, 2017 | Thomson Gallery

Highly evocative embroidered and crocheted pieces adapt the Mütter Museum collection into captivating personal narratives, addressing the effects of chronic illness.

Perfect Vessels, photography by David Orr

Explore Perfect Vessels, a brand new exhibition by LA-based artist and photographer David Orr, inspired by the Mütter Museum’s renowned Hyrtl Skull Collection.